Method, device, apparatus and storage medium for communication in communication network

ABSTRACT

A first device in a communication network receives from at least one second device in the communication network, a first request for acquiring a token, the token being permission for communicating with a third device. Based on the first request, a device from the at least one second device and the first device as a communication device is selected for providing a communication service to the third device in the communication network; and the token is transmitted to the communication device. The communication device receives the token for communicating with the third device. Other devices receive key information associated with communication of the third device from the first device, and monitor data associated with the communication of the third device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.17/355,439, filed Jun. 23, 2021, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010818357.6, filed on Aug. 14,2020, in the Chinese Patent Office, the entire contents of each of whichare hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to thecommunication field, and more specifically, to a method, apparatus,device and computer readable storage medium for communication in acommunication network.

BACKGROUND

A communication network, such as an Extended Service Set (ESS) network,a Mesh Basic Service Set (MBSS) network, and the like, is comprised of aplurality of Access Point (AP) devices (also referred to as nodes).Traditionally, a terminal device in a moving state can scan different APnodes and dynamically select an AP node having a better Received SignalStrength Indicator (RSSI) value, so as to roam to the selected AP node.If a certain AP node has a too large of a load or receives a weak signalof a packet from the terminal device, the AP node will recommend afurther candidate AP node to the terminal device to enable the latter toestablish a connection with the further candidate AP node, and thusachieve load balance.

Nonetheless, in the case of roaming or load balance, the terminal devicecan acquire an Internet service via a new AP node only after completingan authentication connection with the new AP node. In the applicationscenarios featuring large data volume and ultra-low latency, such asAugmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), delay-caused instantstick may occur during the roaming process and a good customerexperience cannot be provided. Further, renegotiation of the keyinvolved in the process of connecting with a new AP node when attackedby a sniffer, which can cause leakage of the key in the process, anduser data can be stolen and monitored.

SUMMARY

In general, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improvedmechanism for communication in a communication network.

In a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a firstdevice in a communication network. The first device comprises: aprocessor; and a memory coupled to the processor and having instructionsstored therein, the instructions when executed by the processor causingthe first device to: receive, from at least one second device in thecommunication network, a first request for acquiring a token, the tokenbeing permission for communication with a third device, the first deviceand the at least one second device having the same Service SetIdentifier (SSID), Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID), and AssociatedIdentifier (AID) during the communication with the third device; select,based on the first request, a device from the at least one second deviceand the first device as a communication device for providing acommunication service to the third device in the communication network;and transmit the token to the communication device for use in thecommunication with the third device via the communication device.

In a second aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided a second device in a communication network. The second devicecomprises: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and havinginstructions stored therein, the indications when executed by theprocessor causing the second device to: in response to receiving a proberequest from a third device, transmit a first request for acquiring atoken to a first device in the communication network, the token beingpermission for communication with the third device, the first device andthe at least one second device having the same SSID, BSSID, and AIDduring communication with the third device; and receive the token fromthe first device for use in the communication with the third device.

In a third aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided a second device in a communication network. The second devicecomprises: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and havinginstructions stored therein, the instructions when executed by theprocessor causing the second device to: receive, from a first device inthe communication network, key information associated with communicationof a third device, the first device and the at least one second devicehaving the same SSID, BSSID, and AID during communication with the thirddevice; and monitor, based on the key information, data associated withthe communication of the third device.

In a fourth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided a third device. The third device comprises: a processor; and amemory coupled to the processor and having instructions stored therein,the instructions when executed by the processor causing the third deviceto: transmit a probe request to each of a first device and at least onesecond device in a communication network, each of the first device andthe at least one second device having the same SSID, BSSID, and AIDduring communication with the third device; receive a response to theprobe request from a device among the first device and the at least onesecond device; and perform communication via the device.

In a fifth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided a method for communication. The method comprises: receiving, ata first device in a communication network and from at least one seconddevice in the communication network, a first request for acquiring atoken, the token being permission for communication with a third device,the first device and the at least one second device having the sameSSID, BSSID, and AID during communication with the third device;selecting, based on the first request, a device from the at least onesecond device and the first device as a communication device forproviding a communication service to the third device in thecommunication network; and transmitting the token to the communicationdevice for use in the communication with the third device via thecommunication device.

In a sixth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided a method for communication. The method comprises: in responseto receiving a probe request from a third device, transmitting, at asecond device in a communication network and from a first device in thecommunication network, a first request for acquiring a token, the tokenbeing permission for communication with the third device, the firstdevice and the at least one device having the same SSID, BSSID, and AIDduring communication with the third device; and receiving the token fromthe first device for use in the communication with the third device.

In a seventh aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided a method for communication. The method comprises: receiving, ata second device in a communication network and from a first device inthe communication network, key information associated with communicationof a third device, the first device and the at least one second devicehaving the same SSID, BSSID, and AID during communication with the thirddevice; and monitoring, based on the key information, data associatedwith the communication of the third device.

In an eighth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided a method for communication. The method comprises: transmitting,at a third device, a probe request to each of a first device and atleast one second device in a communication network, each of the firstdevice and the at least one second device having the same SSID, BSSID,and AID during communication with the third device; receiving a responseto the probe request from a device among the first device and the atleast one second device; and performing communication via the device.

In a ninth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided an apparatus for communication. The apparatus comprises: meansfor receiving, at a first device in a communication network and from atleast one second device in the communication network, a first requestfor acquiring a token, the token being permission for communication witha third device, the first device and the at least one second devicehaving the same SSID, BSSID, and AID during the communication with thethird device; means for selecting, based on the first request, a devicefrom the at least one second device and the first device as acommunication device for providing a communication service to the thirddevice in the communication network; and means for transmitting thetoken to the communication device for use in the communication with thethird device via the communication device.

In a tenth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided an apparatus for communication. The apparatus comprises: meansfor transmitting, at a second device in a communication network, a firstrequest for acquiring a token to a first device in the communicationnetwork in response to receiving a probe request from a third device,the token being permission for communication with the third device, thefirst device and the at least one second device having the same SSID,BSSID, and AID during communication with the third device; and means forreceiving the token from the first device for use in the communicationwith the third device.

In an eleventh aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided an apparatus for communication. The apparatus comprises: meansfor receiving, at a second device in a communication network and from afirst device in the communication network, key information associatedwith communication of a third device, the first device and the at leastone second device having the same SSID, BSSID, and AID duringcommunication with the third device; and means for monitoring, based onthe key information, data associated with the communication of the thirddevice.

In a twelfth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided an apparatus for communication. The apparatus comprises: meansfor transmitting a probe request to each of a first device and at leastone second device in a communication network, each of the first deviceand the at least one second device having the same SSID, BSSID, and AIDduring communication with the third device; means for receiving aresponse to the probe request from a device among the first device andthe at least one second device; and means for performing communicationvia the device.

In a thirteenth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, thereis provided a computer readable storage medium. The computer readablestorage medium comprises machine executable instructions when executedby a device causing the device to perform the method according to thefifth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure.

In a fourteenth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, thereis provided a computer readable storage medium. The computer readablestorage medium comprises machine executable instructions when executedby a device causing the device to perform the method according to thesixth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure.

In a fifteenth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided a computer readable storage medium. The computer readablestorage medium comprises machine executable instructions when executedby a device causing the device to perform the method according to theseventh aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure.

In a sixteenth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there isprovided a computer readable storage medium. The computer readablestorage medium comprises machine executable instructions when executedby a device causing the device to perform the method according to theeighth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure.

In the solution according to embodiments of the present disclosure, anew communication mechanism in a communication network is introduced,which enables a plurality of nodes in the communication network to facea terminal device using the same identification information. That is,from the perspective of the terminal device, the plurality of nodes canbe viewed as a node. In this way, by adjusting load balance of the firstor second device and timely capturing a movement path of the thirddevice, an optimal communication device is dynamically selected for thethird device such that latency of the terminal device can be reducedsignificantly. Moreover, the reconnection process of the terminal deviceamong a plurality of nodes can be significantly simplified whileguaranteeing communication security of the terminal device.

It should be appreciated that this Summary is not intended to identifykey features or essential features of the present disclosure, nor is itintended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Otherfeatures in the present disclosure will be made clear through thedescription below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Through the following detailed description with reference to theaccompanying drawings, the above and other objectives, features, andadvantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent.Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference symbols refer tothe same or similar components.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example communication system whereembodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example interaction between devicesin a communication process according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a communication method implemented at a firstdevice in a communication network according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a communication method implemented at a seconddevice in a communication network according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a communication method implemented at a seconddevice in a communication network according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a communication method implemented at a thirddevice according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structure block diagram of a device according toan embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a computer readable storage mediumaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detailwith reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the drawingsillustrate some embodiments of the present disclosure, it should beappreciated that the present disclosure may be implemented in variousmanners and should not be construed as being limited by thoseembodiments illustrated herein. Rather, these embodiments are providedto disclose the present disclosure more thoroughly and completely. It isalso to be understood that the drawings and embodiments are providedonly as examples, without suggesting any limitation to the scopedisclosed herein.

As used herein, the term “includes” and its variants are to be read asopen-ended terms that mean “includes, but is not limited to.” The term“based on” is to be read as “based at least in part on.” The term “anembodiment” is to be read as “at least one example embodiment;” and theterm “another embodiment” is to be read as “at least one furtherembodiment.” Relevant definitions of other terms will be given in thefollowing description.

It should be noted that, although the terms “first,” “second,” and thelike are employed here to describe various components, those componentsshould not be limited by such terms which are used only for convenienceof distinguishing one component from another. For example, a firstcomponent may also be called second component, or vice versa, withoutdeparting from the scope disclosed therein. As used herein, “and/or”covers any or all combinations of one or more terms listed before andafter it.

As used herein, the term “circuitry” refers to one or more of thefollowing:

(a) a hardware-only circuitry implementation (e.g., an implementationwhere only analog and/or digital circuitry is provided);

(b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, for example, (ifapplicable): (1) a combination of analog and/or digital circuitry andsoftware/firmware, and (ii) any part of a hardware processor andsoftware (including: a digital signal processor, software, and memoryoperating together to enable devices, such as an Optical Line Terminal(OLT) or other computing device, to implement various functions); and

(c) hardware circuitry and/or a processor, such as a microprocessor or apart thereof, where software (e.g., firmware) is provided for operationbut may be missing if not required.

The above definition of circuitry is applicable to all the applicationscenes described herein (including the claims). In another example, theterm “circuitry” also includes an implementation of hardware circuitryor processor (or multiple processors) only, or a part of hardwarecircuitry or a processor, or software or firmware attached thereto. Forexample, if used in a particular claim, the term “circuitry” furthercovers a baseband integrated circuit, processor circuit, OLT, or othersimilar integrated circuit in other computing devices.

As used therein, the term “communication network” refers to a networkthat complies with any appropriate communication standard, such as LTE,LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA),High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT),and the like. In addition, communication between a terminal device and anetwork device in a communication network may be performed according toany appropriate generation of communication protocol, including, but notlimited to, the first generation (1G), the second generation (2G), 2.5G,2.75G, the third generation (3G), the fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, andthe future fifth generation (5G) communication protocol, and/or thefirst generation (WIFI1), the second generation (WIFI2), the thirdgeneration (WIFI3), the fourth generation (WIFI4), the fifth generation(WIFI5), the sixth generation (WIFI6), and the future seventh generation(WIFI7) local area network communication protocol, and/or any otherprotocol currently known or to be developed in the future. Theembodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to variouscommunication systems. Considering the rapid development of thecommunication technology, there is a possibility of combining thepresent invention with some future communication technologies andsystems. It should be appreciated that the scope of the presentdisclosure is not limited to the above system.

As used herein, the term “network device” refers to a node in acommunication network, via which a terminal device can access thenetwork and receive a service from the latter. Depending on theapplication terms and technologies, a network device may refer to a BaseStation (BS) or Access Point (AP), for example, a Node B (NodeB or NB),Evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), NR NB (also called gNB), Remote RadioUnit (RRU), Radio Head (RH), Remote Radio Head (RRH), relay, a low powernode such as a pico base station or femto base station, and the like.

The term “terminal device” refers to any terminal device applicable inradio communication. For example, without limitation, the terminaldevice may be also called communication device, User Equipment (UE),User Station (SS), portable user station, Mobile Station (MS) or AccessTerminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, amobile phone, smart phone, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone,wireless local loop phone, tablet computer, wearable terminal device,Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), portable computer, desktop computer,image acquisition terminal device such as digital camera, game terminaldevice, music storage and playback device, vehicle-mounted wirelessterminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, Laptop EmbeddedEquipment (LEE), Laptop Mounted Equipment (LME), USB dongle, smartdevice, wireless Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), Internet of Things(LOT) device, watch or other wearable device, Head Mounted Display(HMD), vehicle, drone, medical device and application program (e.g., forremote surgery), industrial device and application program (e.g., robotand/or other wireless device in an industrial context and/or automatedprocessing chain context), consumer electronic device, device running ina commercial and/or industrial wireless network, and the like. In thedescription below, the terms “terminal device,” “communication device,”“terminal,” “user equipment” and “UE” can be used interchangeably.

As used herein, the term “communication network” may refer to a homenetwork, corporate network or other similar local network communicatingin a wireless manner, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and the like. Thecommunication network may also refer to any wired or wirelesscommunication network capable of implementing embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In some embodiments, the communication network may be one ofMBSS and ESS. Considering the rapid development of the communicationtechnology, there is a possibility of combining the present inventionwith a future communication technology and network. Therefore, the scopedisclosed herein should not be considered as being restricted to thenetwork as described above.

In the legacy MBSS and ESS network, each AP node has the same SSID but adifferent BSSID in communication (i.e., fronthaul) with a terminaldevice. In the circumstance, in the case of roaming or load balance, theterminal device can acquire an Internet service via a new AP only aftercompleting an authentication connection with the new AP node. Inscenarios featuring large data volume and ultra-low latency, such as ARand VR, delay-caused instant stick may occur during the roaming processand a good customer experience cannot be provided. Moreover,renegotiation of the key involved in the process of connecting with anew AP node when attacked by a sniffer, which may cause leakage of thekey in the process, and user data can be stolen and monitored.

In the legacy solution, as to the delay during roaming, fast roaming asdefined in the 802.11r standard is brought up. In this way, the delaycan be reduced to 50 ms, but it still cannot meet the requirements ofAR/VR for ultra-low delay. In addition, normal function can be achievedonly if the 802.11r standard is supported by both the AP node and theterminal device. For those terminal devices not supporting the 802.11rstandard, they have to follow the steps of re-association, four-wayhandshake and IP address application. However, the delay still exists.

Furthermore, in the legacy solution, as to the sniffing attack riskcontained in the process of key negotiation, 802.1X standard and theWi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) protocol have offered safer keynegotiation mechanisms. However, these mechanisms require the support ofthe 802.1X standard or the WPA3 protocol by both the AP node and theterminal device. Nevertheless, most terminal devices currently on themarket, especially Internet of Things (IoT) devices, support neither the802.1X standard nor the WPA3 protocol. Furthermore, the mechanismproposed according to the 802.1X standard leads to a longer delay.

In view of the above, embodiments of the present disclosure provide anew communication mechanism in a communication network. In themechanism, a plurality of AP nodes in the communication network face aterminal device using the same identification information. That is, fromthe perspective of the terminal device, the plurality of AP nodes can beviewed as a node. Owing to the same identification information involvedin communication with a terminal device, the plurality of AP nodes canbe switched seamlessly without impacting communication of the terminaldevice. In other words, collaboration among the plurality of AP nodesenables a safe and seamless connection of the terminal device to any APnode, without the necessity of re-establishing the connection. As such,the security of communication of a terminal device can be improved.Moreover, by adjusting load balance of a first or second device andtimely capturing a movement path of a third device, an optimalcommunication device can be selected for the third device, whichremarkably reduces the service delay of the terminal device. Besides, agood compatibility with most terminal devices can also be attained.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example communication system 100where embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. Asshown, the system 100 may include a communication network 110, theInternet 120, and a device 130 (for clarity, hereinafter also referredto as third device 130). The third device 130 may be connected via thecommunication network 110 to the Internet 120 for data access. In someembodiments, the third device 130 may be a terminal device. However,embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and thethird device may be of other types.

The communication device 110 may include a first device 111 and seconddevices 112-1 and 112-2 (for clarity, hereinafter collectively referredto as at least one second device 112). The first device 111 acts as aroot node in the communication network 110, and the second device 112 isan extended node in the communication network 110. In some embodiments,the first device 111 and the second device 112 may by a router,respectively. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are notlimited thereto, and the first device and the second device may also beof other types. In addition, the number of the second devices is notlimited to the specific figure as shown, and there may be more or fewersecond devices.

The third device 130 may be in communication with any AP node (e.g., thefirst device 111 or the second device 112) in the communication network110 via a wireless link. Nodes in the communication network 110 maycommunicate with each other by backhaul of the wireless link or Ethernetlink. The first device 111 in the communication network 110 may beconnected via a Wide Area Network (WAN) port to the Internet 120. Itshould be appreciated that the number of the communication networks 110or the third device 130 is not limited to the example as shown in FIG. 1, and may be a larger one. Further, instead of being configured to thespecific example as described above, they may be implemented in anyappropriate manner.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first device 111 andthe second device 112 in the communication network 110 have the sameidentification information during communication (i.e., fronthaul) withthe third device 130. Thus, the first device 111 and the second device112 can be viewed by the third device 130 as the same node. In someembodiments, the first device 111 and the second device 112 have thesame SSID, BSSID and AID. In some embodiments, the first device 111 andthe second device 112 also have the same Basic Service Set color (BSScolor). In some embodiments, the first device 111 and the second device112 also have the same timestamp. For example, the first device 111 andthe second device 112 have the same beacon frame timestamp. Theembodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those specificexamples, and any other implementations are also feasible.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, after the third device 130has connected or reconnected to the communication network 110, all theAP nodes (e.g., the first device 111 and the second device 112) in thecommunication network 110 may acquire and update key informationassociated with communication of the third device 130.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication network110 includes only one token for communication with the third device 130.In some embodiments, only the AP node with the token may be in normalcommunication with the third device 130, while the remaining AP nodeswithout the token may receive data transmitted from the third device 130but not reply to the third device 130 with an acknowledgement message(ACK) or a unicast message (except Null Data Packet (NDP) or Null DataPacket Announcement (NDPA) message).

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, collaborationbetween the plurality of AP nodes, such as the first device 111 and thesecond device 112, in the communication network 110 may enable a safeand seamless connection of the third device 130 to any AP node and thenachieve data access to the Internet 120. Hereinafter, reference will bemade to FIGS. 2-6 for more detail. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram 200 ofan example interaction between devices in a communication processaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For convenience,the following description will be made with reference to the example ofFIG. 1 .

Operation of Scanning AP Node

As shown in FIG. 2 , for example, upon turning on Wi-Fi, the thirddevice 130 may transmit a probe request. In some embodiments, the thirddevice 130 may send out a probe request frame. Of course, this is merelyan example, and the probe request may be provided in other forms.Correspondingly, the second device 112-1 in the communication network110 may receive 201 the probe request, and the second device 112-2 mayalso receive 201′ the probe request. In addition, the first device 111in the communication network 110 may receive 201″ the probe request aswell.

In response to receiving the probe request, the second device 112-1transmits 202 a request for acquiring the token (for clarity,hereinafter also referred to as first request) to the first device 111,and the second device 112-1 also transmits 202′ a request for acquiringthe token (for clarity, hereinafter also referred to as first request)to the first device 111. The token is permission for communication withthe third device 130. For example, each second device 112 that hasreceived the probe request from the third device 130 may request, fromthe first device 111, the token for communication with the third device130. In some embodiments, the first device 111 per se may generate therequest for the token.

Upon receiving the first requests from the second devices 112-1 and112-2, the first device 111 selects 203 one device from the seconddevices 112-1 and 112-2 and the first device 111 as a communicationdevice for providing a communication service to the third device 130. Insome embodiments, the first device 111 may determine whether the firstdevice 111 stores information of the communication device. If it isdetermined that the information of the communication device is storedtherein, the communication device may be determined from theinformation. In some embodiments, the first device 111 may locally storea table for recording dispense, registration, transfer and recycling ofthe token, for example, as shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 Example of Token related information Information on Token Deviceidentifier node with token Key information expiring time

It should be appreciated that the token related information in Table 1is provided merely as an example, and any other appropriate informationmay also be stored therein. Moreover, the form of Table 1 is alsoprovided exemplarily, and any other appropriate data structure may beemployed.

In the example where the table is stored, the first device 111 maydetermine, based on the table, whether the first device 111 storesinformation of a communication device associated with the third device130. If the table contains the information of the communication deviceassociated with the third device 130, the communication device may bedetermined from the information accordingly.

If the information of the communication device is not stored at thefirst device 111 (e.g., if the table does not contain informationassociated with the third device 130), the first device 111 may selectthe communication device based on a predetermined strategy. In someembodiments, the first device 111 may select, based on a value of aReceived Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), a device from the seconddevices 112-1 and 112-2 and the first device 111 as the communicationdevice. For example, the first device 111 may compute and provide RSSIvalues for the third device based on the second devices 112-1 and 112-2and the first device 111 per se, and then determine a device having agreater RSSI value as the communication device for providing acommunication service to the third device 130. In another example, thefirst device 111 may compute and provide RSSI values for the thirddevice based on the second devices 112-1 and 112-2 and the first device111, and then determine at least one device having a RSSI value greaterthan a predetermined threshold, and randomly select one device from theat least one device as the communication device. However, thoseembodiments are provided merely as an example, and any other appropriatemanner is also feasible.

In some alternative embodiments, the first device 111 may select, basedon a load balance strategy, one device from the second devices 112-1 and112-2 and the first device 111 as the communication device. For example,the first device 111 may determine respective loads of the seconddevices 112-1 and 112-2 and the first device 111, and then determine thesecond device having a smaller load as the communication device forproviding a communication service to the third device 130. In anotherexample, the first device 111 may determine respective loads of thesecond devices 112-1 and 112-2 and the first device 111, then determineat least one device having a load lower than a predetermined load, andrandomly select one device from the at least one device as thecommunication device. However, those embodiments are provided merely asan example, and any other appropriate manner is also feasible. It shouldbe appreciated that such selection may also be performed based on acombination of multiple strategies.

In some embodiments where the information of the communication deviceassociated with the third device is not stored, upon selection of thecommunication device, the first device 111 may store 204 information ofthe communication device in association with the third device 130. In anexample, assuming that the second device 112-1 is determined as thecommunication device, the first device 111 may update Table 1 asfollows. In this way, the token related information (also referred to ascommunication information) stored at the first device 111 may be updatedcontinuously, which can improve subsequent communication efficiency andreduce the delay.

TABLE 1 Example of Token related information Information on Token Deviceidentifier node with token Key information expiring time MAC address ofIdentifier of NO X seconds third device 130 second device 120

Thereafter, the first device 111 may transmit 205 the token forcommunication with the third device 130 to the second device 112-1 asthe communication device. For example, the first device 110 maytransmit, to the second device 112-1, a specific message indicatingdispense of the token. Other manners may also be employed to indicatethe dispense of the token.

Upon receiving the token, the second device 112-1 transmits 206 aresponse to the probe request to the third device 130. For example, thesecond device 112-1 may transmit a probe response frame to the thirddevice 130. In this way, the third device 130 can be enabled to detectthe communication network 110.

In some alternative embodiments, for the third device detecting thecommunication network 110 via a beacon frame, the token dispensing maybe postponed to an authentication process of the third device 130. Forexample, the third device 130 may receive a beacon frame from the firstdevice 111 or the second device 112 (e.g., by regular broadcasts) andthen detect the communication network 110. Next, the third device 130may send an authentication request, such as an authentication requestframe, to the communication network 110. In response to theauthentication request, the communication network 110 may dispense thetoken to the first device 111 or second device 112. The first device 111or second device 112 with the token may reply to the third device 130with an acknowledge frame for acknowledging reception of the request,and transmit an authentication response frame directed to theauthentication request.

Operation of Accessing to Communication Network

Upon receipt of the response from the second device 112-1, the thirddevice 130 may complete 207 operations of authentication and four-wayhandshake with the second device 112-1, and thus acquire an InternetProtocol (IP) address from the first device 111.

In some embodiments, the second device 112-1 may transmit 208 keyinformation associated with communication of the third device 130 to thefirst device 111. In some embodiments, the key information may include aPaired Temporal Key (PTK). In some embodiments, the key information mayalso include at least one group key of the following: a Group TemporalKey (GTK), or an Integrity Group Temporal Key (IGTK). Other forms of keyare also feasible, and the present application does not limit this.

In some embodiments, upon receipt of the key information, the firstdevice 110 may store 209 the key information in association with thethird device 130. For example, Table 1 may be updated as follows. Ofcourse, storage may be performed in other manners as well.

TABLE 1 Example of token related information Information on Token Deviceidentifier node with token Key information expiring time MAC address ofIdentifier of GTK data X seconds third device 130 second device PTK data112-1

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may dispense 210 the keyinformation to other devices than the communication device (e.g., thesecond device 112-2 and the first device 111) among the second devices112-1 and 112-2 and the first device 111. Consequently, the seconddevice 112-2 and the first device 111 may monitor, based on the keyinformation, data associated with communication of the third device 130.In other words, the second device 112-2 and the first device 111 arewaiting for communication with the third device 130.

Roaming Operation

In the embodiment where the second device 112-1 is determined as thecommunication device, when the third device 130 moves from a position Ato a position B, the second device 112-1 may determine 211 whether theRSSI value associated with communication of the third device 130received by the second device 112-1 is below a predetermined threshold(for clarity, hereinafter referred to as fourth threshold). If the RSSIvalue associated with communication of the third device 130 is below thefourth threshold, the second device 112-1 may trigger a roamingmechanism. In the circumstance, the second device 112-1 may transmit 212to the first device 111 a request on roaming of the third device 130(for clarity, hereinafter also referred to as second request). In someembodiments, the second request may include the token and cached datarelated to the third device 130 stored at the second device 112-1. Thecached data are data related to the third device 130 not processed bythe second device 112-1.

In response to receiving the roaming request, the first device 111 mayselect a device from the second devices 112-1 and 112-2 and the firstdevice 111 as a candidate device (for clarity, hereinafter also referredto as first candidate device), for subsequent use in communication withthe third device 130. In this example, it is assumed that the seconddevice 112-2 is the candidate device. In some embodiments, the firstdevice 111 may select a device having a RSSI value higher than apredetermined threshold (for clarity, hereinafter also referred to asfirst threshold) as the first candidate device. In some embodiments, thefirst device 111 may select a device having the highest RSSI value asthe first candidate device. It should be appreciated that the selectionof the first candidate device may be implemented in any appropriatemanner, and is not limited to the above examples.

Upon determination of the first candidate device, the first device 111may transmit 214, to the second device 112-2 as the candidate device,the token retrieved from the second device 112-1 and the cached datarelated to the third device 130 from the second device 112-1. In thecondition where each of the first device 111 and the second device 112in the communication network 110 is in the same working channel, thesecond device 112-2 may directly communicate with the third device 130after acquiring the token and the cached data.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may determine 215 whether thecommunication device (e.g., the second device 112-1 in this example) andthe first candidate (e.g., the second device 112-2 in this example) arein the same working channel. If the first device 111 determines that thecommunication device and the first candidate device are in differentworking channels, for example, a first working channel and a secondworking channel, the first device 111 notifies 216 the second device112-1 to switch the third device 130 to the second working channel wherethe first candidate device is located. In some embodiments, the firstdevice 111 may transmit, to the second device 112-1, a Channel SwitchAnnouncement (CSA) message which may include indication information ofthe second working channel and identification information of the thirddevice 130. Of course, other messages currently known or to be developedin the future are also feasible, and the present disclosure does notlimit this aspect.

Upon receipt of the notification, the second device 112-1 may request217 the third device 130 to switch from the first working channel to thesecond working channel. For example, the second device 112-1 maytransmit an action frame with CSA IE unicast to the third device 130.This is provided only as an example, and any other suitable ways may beemployed to request the third device 130 to perform the switch of theworking channel.

In response to the request, the third device 130 may switch 218 from thefirst working channel to the second working channel. Then, the seconddevice 112-2 may directly communicate 219 with the third device 130.

In some embodiments, the second device 112-2 may transmit 220, to thefirst device 111, an indication on a completion of the roaming of thethird device 130 (for clarity, hereinafter also referred to as firstindication). In this way, the second device 112-2 can report an event ofthe completion of the roaming of the third device 130 to the firstdevice 111. Based on the indication, the first device 111 may update 221the information of the communication device associated with the thirddevice 130. For example, the information of the node with the token maybe updated from the first device 112-1 as the second device 112-2, whichis shown as below. Hence, the roaming operation of the third device 130from the second device 112-1 to the second device 112-2 is done.

TABLE 1 Example of token related information Information on Token Deviceidentifier node with token Key information expiring time MAC address ofIdentifier of GTK data X seconds third device 130 second device PTK data112-2

Load Balance Operation

In some embodiments, the second device 112-1 may determine 222 whether aload of the second device 112-1 exceeds a predetermined threshold (forclarity, hereinafter also referred to as fifth threshold). When the loadof the second device 112-1 exceeds the fifth threshold, the seconddevice 112-1 may trigger a load balance mechanism. In this case, thesecond device 112-1 may transmit 223 a load balance request (forclarity, hereinafter also referred to as third request) to the firstdevice 111. In some embodiments, the third request may include the tokenand the cached data related to the third device 130 stored at the seconddevice 112-1. The cached data are data related to the third device 130not processed by the second device 112-1.

In response to receiving the load balance request, the first device 111may select 224 a device from the second devices 112-1 and 112-2 and thefirst device 111 as the candidate device (for clarity, hereinafter alsoreferred to as second candidate device), for subsequent use incommunication with the third device 130. In this example, it is assumedthat the second device 112-2 is the candidate device. In someembodiments, the first device 111 may select a device having a RSSIvalue higher than a predetermined RSSI value (for clarity, hereinafteralso referred to as second threshold) and a load lower than apredetermined load (for brevity, hereinafter also referred to as thirdthreshold) as the second candidate device. In some alternativeembodiments, the first device 111 may select a device having the highestRSSI value as the second candidate device. In some alternativeembodiments, the first device 111 may select a device having the lowestload as the second candidate device. It should be appreciated that theselection of the second candidate device may be implemented in anyappropriate manner and is not limited to the above examples.

Upon determination of the second candidate device, the first device 111may transmit 225, to the second device 112-2 as the candidate device,the token retrieved from the second device 112-1 and the cached datafrom the second device 112-1. In the condition that each of the firstdevice 111 and the second device 112 in the communication network 110are in the same working channel, the second device 112-2 may directlycommunicate with the third device 130 after acquiring the token and thecached data.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may determine 226 whether thecommunication device (e.g., the second device 112-1 in this example) anda second candidate device (e.g., the second device 112-2 in thisexample) are in the same working channel. If the first device 111determines that the communication device and the second candidate deviceare in different working channels, for example, the first workingchannel and the second working channel, the first device 111 notifies227 the second device 112-1 to switch the third device 130 to the secondworking channel where the second candidate device is located. In someembodiments, the first device 111 may transmit, to the second device112-1, a CSA message which may include indication information of thesecond working channel and the identification information of the thirddevice 130. Of course, other messages currently known or to be developedin the future are also feasible, and the present disclosure does notlimit this aspect.

Upon receipt of the notification, the second device 112-1 may request228 the third device 130 to switch from the first working channel to thesecond working channel. For example, the second device 112-1 maytransmit an action frame with CSA IE unicast to the third device 130.This is provided merely as an example, and any other suitable ways mayalso be employed to request the third device 130 to perform the switchof the working channel.

In response to the request, the third device 130 may switch 229 from thefirst working channel to the second working channel. Then, the seconddevice 112-2 may directly communicate 230 with the third device 130.

In some embodiments, the second device 112-2 may transmit 231 to thefirst device 111 an indication on a completion of the load balance ofthe third device 130 (for clarity, hereinafter also referred to assecond indication). In this way, the second device 112-2 can report anevent of the completion of the load balance of the third device 130 tothe first device 111. Based on the indication, the first device 111 mayupdate 232 the information of the communication device associated withthe third device 130. For example, the information of the node with thetoken in Table 1 may be updated from the first device 112-1 as thesecond device 112-2, which is shown as below. In this way, the loadbalance operation of the third device 130 from the second device 112-1to the second device 112-2 is done.

TABLE 1 Example of token related information Information on Token Deviceidentifier node with token Key information expiring time MAC address ofIdentifier of GTK data X seconds third device 130 second device PTK data112-2

In some embodiments, in response to updating the token relatedinformation stored locally, the first device 111 may update a ForwardingDatabase Table (FBT) to indicate that the third device 130 acquires theInternet service via a new AP node.

Disconnection Operation

In some embodiments, for example, when turning off Wi-Fi, the thirddevice 130 may transmit 233 a disconnection request to the second device(e.g., the second device 112-1) currently providing the communicationservice for the third device 130. In some embodiments, the third device130 may transmit a de-authentication frame to the second device 112-1.In some embodiments, the third device 130 may transmit a de-associationframe to the second device 112-1.

In response to receiving a disconnection request from the third device130, the second device 112-1 may delete 234 the key informationassociated with the third device 130 from the second device 112-1. Assuch, disconnection from the third device 130 is implemented. In someembodiments, the second device 112-1 may transmit 235 a request fordisconnecting from the third device 130 (for clarity, hereinafter alsoreferred to as the third request) to the first device 111. In otherwords, the second device 112-1 may report, to the first device 111, therequest for disconnecting from the third device 130.

In response to receiving the third request, the first device 111 maydelete 236 key information associated with the third device 130 storedlocally. For example, the key information associated with the thirddevice 130 is deleted from the Table 1, which is shown as below.

TABLE 1 Example of token related information Information on Token Deviceidentifier node with token Key information expiring time MAC address ofIdentifier of NO X seconds third device 130 second device 112-1

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may transmit 237, to thesecond device 112-2, an indication for deleting the key informationassociated with the third device 130. Based on the indication, thesecond device 112-1 may delete the key information associated with thethird device 130. The second device 112-2 cancels monitoring on thecommunication of the third device 130 accordingly.

Token Expiring Operation

In some embodiments, if the communication network 110 fails to detect asignal of the third device 130 within a period of time, it is determinedthat the token of the third device 130 expires, and a token expiringoperation may be triggered accordingly. For example, the currentcommunication device (i.e., the AP node with the token) is the seconddevice 112-1. In some embodiments, the second device 112-1 may determine239 whether a signal from the third device 130 is detected within aperiod of time or not. In some embodiments, if determining that nosignal from the third device 130 is detected within the period of time,the second device 112-1 may transmit 240 to the first device 111 anindication indicating an expiration of a token associated with the thirddevice 130 (for clarity, hereinafter also referred to as thirdindication).

Based on the third indication, the first device 111 may retrieve thetoken from the second device 112-1 and delete 241 communicationinformation associated with the third device 130 stored at the firstdevice 111. For example, the first device 111 may delete an entryassociated with the third device 130 from Table 1, as shown below.

TABLE 1 Example of token related information Key Token Informationinfor- expiring Device identifier on node with token mation time

Simulation Result

Simulation has been performed for various security modes. Table 2 belowshows an example of simulation results of latency.

TABLE 2 Example of simulation results of latency under various securitymodes Security mode Connection procedure Latency Open Authentication +Association  5 ms WPA + PSK Authentication + Association +  80 msFour-way handshake WPA2 + PSK Authentication + Association +  80 msFour-way handshake WPA + 802.1X Authentication + Association + 230 ms802.1X + Four-way handshake WPA2 + 802.1X Authentication + Association +230 ms 802.1X + Four-way handshake 802.11R Authentication +Re-association  50 ms Roaming operation in the Roaming informationexchange  1 ms same working channel in backhaul according to embodimentsof the present disclosure Load balance operation in Load balanceinformation  1 ms the same working channel exchange in backhaulaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure Roaming operation inRoaming information exchange  3 ms different working channels inbackhaul + channel switch of according to embodiments the third deviceof the present disclosure Load balance operation in Load balanceinformation  3 ms different working channels exchange in backhaul +channel according to embodiments switch of the third device of thepresent disclosure

As can be seen from the above, compared with the legacy solution, thesolution according to the embodiments of the present disclosure canreduce the latency significantly.

So far, the example communication process in the communication networkaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure has been described.It should be appreciated that the process may further include moreadditional steps or omit some steps shown, and is not limited to theexample of FIG. 2 . Correspondingly, embodiments of the presentdisclosure further provide methods implemented at a first device as aroot node in the communication network, a second device as an extendednode in the communication network, and a third device for communicationvia the communication network. Reference now will be made to FIGS. 3-6for description in detail.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a communication method 300 implemented at afirst device in a communication network according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure. The method 300, for example, can be implementedat the first device 111 as a root node shown in FIG. 1 . Forconvenience, description will be provided with reference to the exampleof FIG. 1 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , at block 310, the first device 111 receives, fromat least one second device 112 in the communication network 110, a firstrequest for acquiring a token, the token being permission forcommunication with the third device 130.

At block 320, the first device 111 selects, based on the first request,a device from the at least one second device 112 and the first device111 as a communication device for providing a communication service tothe third device 130. In some embodiments, the first device 111 mayselect the device by the following operations: determining whetherinformation of the communication device associated with the third device130 is stored at the first device 111; if determining that theinformation of the communication device associated with the third device130 is stored at the first device 111, determining the communicationdevice from the information of the communication device; and ifdetermining that the information of the communication device associatedwith the third device 130 is not stored at the first device 111,determining, based on a predetermined strategy, a device from the atleast one device 112 and the first device 111 as the communicationdevice. In some embodiments, the predetermined strategy may be based onat least one of a RSSI value or a load.

At block 330, the first device 111 transmits the token to thecommunication device for communication with the third device 130 via thecommunication device.

In some embodiments, the third device 111 and the at least one seconddevice 112 have the same SSID, BSSID and AID during the communicationwith the third device 130. In some embodiments, during the communicationwith the third device 130, the first device 111 and the at least onesecond device 112 may also have at least one of: the same basic serviceset color, or the same timestamp.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may store the information ofthe communication device and the token in association with the thirddevice 130.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may receive, from thecommunication device, key information associated with communication ofthe third device 130; and transmit the key information to a device otherthan the communication device among the at least one second device 112and the first device 111. In some embodiments, the first device 111 mayupdate, based on the key information received, the key informationassociated with the third device 130 stored at the first device.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may receive, from thecommunication device, a second request on roaming of the third device130, the second request comprising cached data related to the thirddevice 130 at the communication device; select one device from the atleast one second device 112 and the first device 111 as a firstcandidate device, the first candidate device having a RSSI value higherthan a first threshold; and transmit the token and the cached data tothe first candidate device.

In some embodiments, in response to determining that the communicationdevice and the first candidate device are in the first working channeland the second working channel, respectively, the first device 111 maynotify the communication device to switch the third device 130 to thesecond working channel.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may receive, from the firstcandidate device, a first indication on a completion of the roaming ofthe third device 130; and update, based on the first indication and withinformation of the first candidate device, the information of thecommunication device associated with the third device 130 stored at thefirst device 111.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may receive a third request onload balance of the third device 130 from the communication device, thethird request comprising cached data related to the third device 130 atthe communication device; select a device from the at least one seconddevice 112 and the first device 111 as a second candidate device, thesecond candidate device has a RSSI value higher than a second thresholdand a load lower than a third threshold; and transmit the token and thecached data to the second candidate device.

In some embodiments, in response to determining that the communicationdevice and the second candidate device are in the first working channeland the second working channel, respectively, the first device 111 maynotify the communication device to switch the third device 130 to thesecond working channel.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may receive a secondindication on a completion of the load balance of the third device 130from the second candidate device, and update, based on the secondindication and with the information of the second candidate device, theinformation of the second device associated with the third device 130stored at the first device 111.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may receive from thecommunication device a third request for disconnecting from the thirddevice 130; delete, based on the third request, the key informationassociated with the third device 130 stored at the first device 111; andtransmit an indication for deleting the key information to a deviceother than the communication device among the at least one device 112and the first device 111.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may receive a third indicationon token expiration of the third device 130; and delete, based on thethird indication, the communication information associated with thethird device 130 stored at the first device 111.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may be a router as the rootnode in the communication network 110, the second device 112 may be arouter as the extended node in the communication network 110, and thethird device 130 may be a terminal device. In some embodiments, thecommunication device 110 may be one of ESS and MBSS. Rather than limitedto the above type, the communication network 110 may be any otherappropriate network currently known or to be developed in the future.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method 400 implemented at a second device ina communication network according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The method 400, for example, may be implemented at any ofthe second devices 112-1 and 112-2 as shown in FIG. 1 . For convenience,description will be provided using the implementation at the seconddevice 112-1 as an example. Reference now will be made to the example ofFIG. 1 for description below.

As shown in FIG. 4 , at block 410, in response to receiving a proberequest from the third device 130, the second device 112-1 transmits afirst request for acquiring a token to the first device 111 in thecommunication network, the token being permission for communication withthe third device 130.

At block 420, the second device 112-1 receives the token from the firstdevice 111 for communication with the third device 130. In someembodiments, the first device 111 and the at least one second device 112have the same SSID, BSSID and AID during the communication with thethird device 130. In some embodiments, during the communication with thethird device 130, the first device 111 and the at least one seconddevice 112 may also have at least one of: the same basic service setcolor, or the same timestamp.

In some embodiments, in response to receiving the token, the seconddevice 112-1 may transmit a response to the probe request to the thirddevice 130. In some embodiments, the second device 112-1 may transmitkey information associated with communication of the third device 130 tothe first device 111.

In some embodiments, in response to the third device 130 being movedfrom the first position to the second position and the RSSI value of thethird device 130 being lower than the fourth threshold, the seconddevice 112-1 may transmit to the first device 111 a second request onroaming of the third device 130, the second request comprising the tokenand cached data related to the third device at the second device 112-1.In some embodiments, the second device 112-1 may receive, from the firstdevice 111, a notification indicating a switch of the third device 130from the first working channel to the second working channel; andrequest, in response to the notification, the third device 130 to switchto the second work channel.

In some embodiments, in response to the load of the second device 112-1exceeding the fifth threshold, the second device 112-1 may transmit athird request on load balance of the third device 130 to the firstdevice 111, the third request comprising the token and cached datarelated to the third device 130 at the second device 112-1. In someembodiments, the second device 112-1 may receive, from the first device111, a notification indicating a switch of the third device 130 from thefirst working channel to the second working channel; and request, inresponse to the notification, the third device 130 to switch to thesecond working channel.

In some embodiments, in response to receiving from the third device 130a request for disconnection, the second device 112-1 may delete the keyinformation associated with the third device 130; and transmit to thefirst device 111 a third request for disconnecting from the third device130.

In some embodiments, the second device 112-1 may transmit to the firstdevice 111 an indication indicating an expiration of the token of thethird device 130.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may be a router as the rootnode in the communication network 110, the second device 112 may be arouter as the extended node in the communication network 110, and thethird device 130 may be a terminal device. In some embodiments, thecommunication device 110 may be one of ESS and MBSS. Rather than limitedto the above type, the communication network 110 may be any otherappropriate network currently known or to be developed in the future.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method 500 implemented at a second device ina communication network according to another embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The method 500, for example, may be implemented at any ofthe second devices 112-1 and 112-2 as shown in FIG. 1 . For convenience,description will be provided using the implementation at the seconddevice 112-1 as an example. Reference now will be made to the example ofFIG. 1 for description below.

As shown in FIG. 5 , at block 510, the second device 112-2 receives,from the communication network 110, key information associated with thethird device 130 at the first device 111.

At block 520, the second device 112-2 monitors, based on the keyinformation, data associated with communication of the third device 130.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 and the at least one seconddevice 112 have the same SSID, BSSID and AID during communication withthe third device 130. In some embodiments, during the communication withthe third device 130, the first device 111 and the at least one seconddevice 112 may also have at least one of: the same basic service setcolor, or the same timestamp.

In some embodiments, in response to receiving a probe request from thethird device 130, the second device 112-2 may further transmit a firstrequest for acquiring a token to the first device 111, the token beingpermission for communication with the third device 130.

In some embodiments, the second device 112-2 may receive, from the firstdevice 111, a token associated with the communication of the thirddevice 130 and cached data related to the third device 130 at the seconddevice 112-2; and perform communication of the third device 130 based onthe token and the cached data. In some embodiments, the second device112-2 may perform the communication of the third device 130 by thefollowing: in response to the third device 130 being switched from thefirst working channel to the second working channel, performing thecommunication of the third device 130.

In some embodiments, the second device 112-2 may transmit a firstindication on a completion of the roaming of the third device 130 to thefirst device 111. In some embodiments, the second device 112-2 maytransmit a second indication on load balance completion of the thirddevice 130 to the first device 111. In some embodiments, the seconddevice 112-2 may receive from the first device 111 an indication fordeleting key information; and delete the key information based on theindication.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may be a router as the rootnode in the communication network 110, the second device 112 may be arouter as the extended node in the communication network 110, and thethird device 130 may be the terminal device. In some embodiments, thecommunication device 110 may be one of ESS and MBSS. Rather than limitedto the above type, the communication network 110 may be any otherappropriate network currently known or to be developed in the future.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method 600 implemented at a third deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 600,for example, may be implemented at the third device 130 as shown in FIG.1 . For convenience, reference now will be made to the example of FIG. 1for description below.

As shown in FIG. 6 , at block 610, the third device 130 transmits aprobe request to each of the first device 111 and the at least onedevice 112 in the communication network 110. In the embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the first device 111 and the at least one seconddevice 112 have the same SSID, BSSID and AID during communication withthe third device 130. In some embodiments, during the communication withthe third device 130, the first device 111 and the at least one seconddevice 112 may also have at least one of the same basic service setcolor or the same timestamp.

At block 620, the third device 130 may receive a response to the proberequest from a device among the first device 110 and the at least onedevice 112.

At block 630, the third device 130 performs communication via thedevice.

In some embodiments, the third device 130 may further receive, via adedicated message from the device, an indication indicating a switchfrom the first working channel to the second working channel; andperform, based on the indication, the switch from the first workingchannel to the second working channel.

In some embodiments, the third device 130 may transmit a request fordisconnection to the device.

In some embodiments, the first device 111 may be a router as the rootnode in the communication network 110, the second device 112 may be arouter as the extended node in the communication network 110, and thethird device 130 may be a terminal device. In some embodiments, thecommunication device 110 may be one of ESS and MBSS. Rather than limitedto the above type, the communication network 110 may be any otherappropriate network currently known or to be developed in the future.

The communication method in a communication network according toembodiments of the present disclosure has been described above. Otherdetails correspond to the corresponding description with reference toFIG. 2 and thus are not repeated here. According to the method accordingto embodiments of the present disclosure, by means of collaboration of aplurality of AP nodes, a terminal device can be safely and seamlesslyconnected to any AP node without re-establishing the connection. In thisway, communication security of the terminal device can be improved andservice latency of the terminal device can be significantly reduced. Inaddition, a good compatibility with most terminal devices can beattained.

Corresponding to the methods above, there are further providedapparatuses in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatuscapable of performing the method 300 may include respective means forperforming the respective steps of the method 300. Those means may beimplemented in any appropriate manner, for example, circuitry orsoftware modules. In some embodiments, the apparatus may be implementedat a root node (e.g., the first device 111 in FIG. 1 ) in thecommunication network.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: means for receiving, atthe first device 111 in the communication network 110 and from the atleast one second device 112 in the communication network 110, a firstrequest for acquiring a token, the token being permission forcommunication with the third device 130, each of the first device 111and the at least one second device 112 having the same SSID, BSSID andAID during communication with the third device 130; means for selecting,based on the first request, a device from the at least one second device112 and the first device 111 as a communication device for providing acommunication service to the third device 130; and means fortransmitting the token to the communication device for communicationwith the third device 130 via the communication device.

The apparatus capable of performing the method 400 may includerespective means for performing respective steps of the method 400.Those means may be implemented in any appropriate manner, for example,circuitry or software modules. In some embodiments, the apparatus may beimplemented at an extended node (e.g., any of the second devices 112-1and 112-2, where the second device 112-1 is taken as an example here) inthe communication network.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: means for transmitting,at the second device 112-1 in the communication network 110, a firstrequest for acquiring a token to the first devices 111 in thecommunication network 110 in response to receiving a probe request fromthe third device 130, the token being permission for communication withthe third device 130, and the first device 111 and the at least onesecond device 112 having the same SSID, BSSID and AID duringcommunication with the third device 130; and means for receiving thetoken for communication with the third device 130.

The apparatus capable of performing the method 500 may includerespective means for performing respective steps of the method 500.Those means may be implemented in any appropriate manner, for example,circuitry or software modules. In some embodiments, the apparatus may beimplemented at an extended node (e.g., any of the second devices 112-1and 112-2, where the second device 112-1 is taken as an example here) inthe communication network.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: means for receiving, atthe second device 112-2 in the communication network 110, keyinformation associated with communication of the third device 130 fromthe first device 111 in the communication network 110, the first device111 and the at least one second device 112 having the same SSID, BSSIDand AID during communication with the third device 130; and means formonitoring, based on the key information, data associated with thecommunication of the third device 130.

The apparatus capable of performing the method 600 may includerespective means for performing respective steps of the method 600.Those means may be implemented in any appropriate manner, for example,circuitry or software modules. In some embodiments, the apparatus may beimplemented at a third device (e.g., the third device 130) in thecommunication network.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: means for transmitting,at the third device 130, a probe request to each of the first device 111and the at least one second device 120 in the communication network,each of the first device 111 and the at least one second device 112having the same SSID, BSSID and AID during communication with the thirddevice 130; means for receiving a response to the probe request from adevice among the first device 111 and the at least one second device112; and means for performing communication via the device.

FIG. 7 is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 according toembodiments of the present disclosure. The device 700 may be provided toimplement a communication device, for example, the first device 111, asecond device 112-1, a second device 112-2 or a third device 130 asshown in FIG. 1 . As shown, the device 700 includes one or moreprocessors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to the processor 710,and one or more communication modules 740 coupled to the processor(s)710.

The communication module 740 is provided for bidirectionalcommunication. A communication interface can represent any interfacenecessary for communication with other network component.

The processor 710 may be of any type suitable for a local technicalnetwork, and may include, for example, without limitation, one or moreof the following: a general computer, dedicated computer,microprocessor, Digital Signal Processor (DSP), and a multicoreprocessor architecture-based processor. The device 700 may include aplurality of processors, for example, a dedicated integrated circuitchip which is chronically subordinated to a clock synchronous with themain processor.

The memory 720 may include one or more nonvolatile memories and one ormore volatile memories. The example of the nonvolatile memory includes,but is not limited to, a Read-Only Memory (ROM) 724, ElectricallyProgrammable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), flash memory, disk, Compact Disk(CD), Digital Video Disk (DVD), and other magnetic and/or opticalstorage device. The example of the volatile memory includes, but is notlimited to, a Random Access Memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memoriesthat do not function during power off.

The computer program 730 includes computer executable instructionsexecuted by an associated computer 710. The program 730 may be stored inthe ROM 720. The processor 710 may execute any appropriate actions andprocessing by loading the program 730 into the RAM 720.

The embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by means ofthe program 730 such that the device 700 can execute any processing ofthe present disclosure as discussed above with reference to FIGS. 2-6 .The embodiments of the present disclosure can also be implemented byhardware or a combination of hardware and software.

In some embodiments, the program 730 may be tangibly included in acomputer readable medium which, in turn, may be included in the device700 (e.g., the memory 720) or other memory devices accessible by thedevice 700. The program 730 can be loaded from the computer readablemedium to the RAM 722 for execution. The computer readable medium mayinclude any type of tangible nonvolatile memory, for example, ROM,EPROM, flash, disk, CD, DVD, and the like. FIG. 8 is an example of acomputer readable medium 800 in the form of CD or DVD. The computerreadable medium stores thereon a program 730.

Generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may beimplemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic orany combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware,while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software which maybe executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device.While various aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure areillustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using someother pictorial representation, it will be appreciated that the blocks,apparatus, systems, techniques or methods described herein may beimplemented in, as non-limiting examples, hardware, software, firmware,special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware orcontroller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.Illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used toimplement embodiments of the present disclosure include but are notlimited to Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application-specificIntegrated Circuits (ASICs), Application-specific Standard Products(ASSPs), System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), Complex Programmable LogicDevices (CPLDs), and the like.

As examples, embodiments of the present disclosure may be described inthe context of the computer-executable instructions, such as thoseincluded in program modules, being executed in a device on a target realor virtual processor. Generally, program modules include routines,programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, orthe like that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstractdata types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined orsplit between program modules as desired in various embodiments.Machine-executable instructions for program modules may be executedwithin a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, programmodules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

Program code for carrying out methods of the present disclosure may bewritten in any combination of one or more programming languages. Theseprogram codes may be provided to a processor of a general purposecomputer, special purpose computer, or other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, such that the program codes, when executed by theprocessor or controller, cause the functions/operations specified in theflowcharts and/or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code mayexecute entirely on a machine, partly on the machine, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machineor entirely on the remote machine or server.

In the context of the present disclosure, a computer program code orrelated data can be carried by any appropriate carrier, to enable anapparatus, device or processor to execute various processing andoperations as described above. The example of carrier includes a signal,computer readable medium, and the like.

The example of the signal may include a signal transmitted in anelectrical, optical, radio, sound, or other form, such as a carrier,infrared signal, and the like.

A machine readable medium may be any tangible medium that may contain,or store a program for use by or in connection with an instructionexecution system, apparatus, or device. The computer readable medium maybe a machine readable signal medium or a machine readable storagemedium. The computer readable medium may include but not limited to anelectronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, orsemiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combinationof the foregoing. More specific examples of the machine readable storagemedium would include an electrical connection having one or more wires,a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM),a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory(EPROM or Flash memory), an optical storage device, a magnetic storagedevice, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

Further, while operations are depicted in a particular order, thisshould not be understood as requiring that such operations be performedin the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that allillustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Incertain cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.Likewise, while several specific embodiment details are contained in theabove discussions, these should not be construed as limitations on thescope of the present disclosure, but rather as descriptions of featuresthat may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features thatare described in the context of separate embodiments may also beimplemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, variousfeatures that are described in the context of a single embodiment mayalso be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in anysuitable sub-combination.

Although the present disclosure has been described in language specificto structural features and/or methodological acts, it should beappreciated that the present disclosure defined in the appended claimsis not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts describedabove. Rather, the specific features and acts described above aredisclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A first device in a communication network,comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor andhaving instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed bythe processor causing the first device to, receive, from at least onesecond device in the communication network, a first request foracquiring a token, the token being permission for communication with athird device, the first device and the at least one second device havinga same service set identifier (SSID), basic service set identifier(BSSID), and associated identifier (AID) during the communication withthe third device; select, based on the first request, a device from theat least one second device and the first device as a communicationdevice for providing a communication service to the third device in thecommunication network; and transmit the token to the communicationdevice for use in the communication with the third device via thecommunication device.
 2. The first device of claim 1, wherein during thecommunication with the third device, the first device and the at leastsecond device further have at least one of the following: a same basicservice set color, or a same timestamp.
 3. The first device of claim 1,wherein the first device is caused to select the communication deviceby: determining whether information of the communication device isstored at the first device; in accordance with a determination that theinformation of the communication device is stored at the first device,determining the communication device from the information of thecommunication device; and in accordance with a determination that theinformation of the communication device is not stored at the firstdevice, determining, based on a strategy, the communication device fromthe at least one second device and the first device.
 4. The first deviceof claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to: store, inassociation with the third device, information of the communicationdevice and the token.
 5. The first device of claim 1, wherein the firstdevice is further caused to: receive, from the communication device, asecond request on roaming of the third device, the second requestcomprising cached data related to the third device at the communicationdevice; select a device from the at least one second device and thefirst device as a first candidate device, the first candidate devicehaving a received signal strength indicator value higher than a firstthreshold; and transmit the token and the cached data to the firstcandidate device.
 6. The first device of claim 1, wherein the firstdevice is further caused to: receive, from the communication device, athird request on load balance of the third device, the third requestcomprising cached data related to the third device at the communicationdevice; select, based on the third request, a device from the at leastone second device and the first device as a second candidate device, thesecond candidate device having a received signal strength indicatorvalue higher than a second threshold, and a load lower than a thirdthreshold; and transmit the token and the cached data to the secondcandidate device.
 7. The first device of claim 1, wherein the firstdevice is a router as a root node in the communication network, thesecond device is a router as an extended node in the communicationnetwork, and the third device is a terminal device, and wherein thecommunication network is one of an extended service set (ESS) networkand a mesh basic service set (MBSS) network.
 8. A second device in acommunication network, comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled tothe processor and having instructions stored therein, the indicationswhen executed by the processor causing the second device to, in responseto receiving a probe request from a third device, transmit a firstrequest for acquiring a token to a first device in the communicationnetwork, the token being permission for communication with the thirddevice, the first device and the at least one second device having asame service set identifier (SSID), basic service set identifier(BSSID), and associated identifier (AID) during the communication withthe third device; and receive the token from the first device for use inthe communication with the third device.
 9. A second device in acommunication network, comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled tothe processor and having instructions stored therein, the instructionswhen executed by the processor causing the second device to, receive,from a first device in the communication network, key informationassociated with communication of a third device, the first device andthe at least one second device having a same service set identifier(SSID), basic service set identifier (BSSID), and associated identifier(AID) during communication with the third device; and monitor, based onthe key information, data associated with the communication of the thirddevice.
 10. A third device, comprising: a processor; and a memorycoupled to the processor and having instructions stored therein, theinstructions when executed by the processor causing the third device to,transmit a probe request to each of a first device and at least onesecond device in a communication network, each of the first device andthe at least one second device having a same service set identifier(SSID), basic service set identifier (BSSID), and associated identifier(AID) during communication with the third device; receive a response tothe probe request from a device among the first device and the at leastone second device; and perform communication via the device.